Boring green-hydro, cryo vertical drilling

ABSTRACT

A vertical water jet cutter method of boring holes in the ground and other solid substrate managing the difficulties of removing the center stone by freezing it until brittle, and cracking it from the base yet to be cut or fragmenting it and removing the material. This process is repeated until the desired or prescribed depth of the boring is reached. Means to handle unexpected dissembly of equipment in the boring is handled with tie-lines to each component placed to dangle the part in an orientation that will allow removal of the part without disturbing the walls of the boring. Means to handle invading ground water includes cryogenically freezing the region of the boring from where the water is flowing, melting the ice in the center of the boring, applying mortar to displace the melted ice and settle in the crevasses of the rock, curing it, and then water jet cutting the boring through the mortar and on into the rock below. With a deep area of ground water penetration, this process must be repeated. This type of water jet cutter boring has many applications from water well drilling, insitu fuel extraction, assaying minerals and more. Comparing this method with the standard drill methods, the equipment is low-profile, cost effective, and no waste. Water and grit are recycled, powdered stone, fragments, and whole center stones can be sold for use elsewhere. This method will not ruin the landscaping or forest floor beauty long term. The energy expended is directed at the cutting zone in the boring.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Hydrocarbon Harvesting from Coal, Shale, Peat, and Landfill Seams U.S. application Ser. No. 11/903,346, PCT/US2008/010744; and Hydrocarbon Harvesting from Methane Hydrate Deposits and Shale Seams, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/217,915 include aspects of this invention. Both patents and this application are DuBrucq inventions. The closest prior art application is for water cutter use in horizontal drillings, Cutting Heads for Horizontal Remote Mining System by Jeff Schwoebel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,418 issued Apr. 2, 2002 and filed Nov. 13, 1998. For removing the center stone, U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,763 of Schimmel, Bement, DuBrucq (Glenn F. jr.) and Klein can be applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Man makes such drama out of piercing the earth, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, when the process could be a gentle removal of the material in the path of entry. This discovery gives one method to do this quietly and with little disturbance of the surface.

One of the costliest and messiest parts of oil exploration and extraction is drilling. Vertical drilling employs hammers or routers with lots of fuel-powered machinery to make it function. Were there a way to concentrate the function to the lowest point in a hole being drilled, and do a repeatable several step process including the cutting, the brittlizing, the cracking, and the collecting of the broken material, the process could be quieter and the material removed used elsewhere or recycled in the process.

Water jet cutters provide a tool with little hardware which cuts with water and sometimes grinding grit mixed in which can remove material from the margins of the intended hole. Liquid Nitrogen can then freeze and brittlize the material to be removed and either breaking off the center rock or using punctuating dissonant sound or pistol shots shatter the rock to be removed. The debris can be separated. Rock and powdered stone is sold and water and grinding grit recycled. In contrast to the drilling rig and heavy truck to remove refuse, this delicate system reduces costs to approximately one hundredth that of the drilling rig. Equipment can be hand carried to the required hole location disturbing a small space. On leaving, the environment is nearly undisturbed.

The method is defined for dealing with ground water eruptions. When the hole is flooding, as a temporary fix, Liquid Nitrogen can be applied to freeze the water and rock until the mortar mix is ready. One applies the mortar by dropping it in the hole to fill in as the ice melts with the curing heat of the mortar. This seals the region of the hole from further water invasion. Mortar cures under water so further flooding is not a factor. Once solid, but not fully cured, excess water can be drawn out of the hole and the water jet cutter set to continue drilling through the mortar section and on into the rock layers. It may take several cycles of this mortar application to breach the ground water region. This method of sealing prevents further water invasion for both for the drilling process and for the purpose of the hole being drilled, in the case of the inventor's work, fuel extraction from oil shale, coal, peat and landfill seams and coal mine fire control.

This drilling method functions in forested or active agricultural locations over rich mineral or fuel reserves or just do a clean job of drilling water wells on landscaped yards without disturbing the beauty of the grounds and leaving forest areas undisturbed.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Schwoebel's U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,418 uses water cutters used to cut rock. Horizontal drilling does not require the clearing difficulties and separation of materials as described in the present application. Two DuBrucq applications, Ser. Nos. 11/903,346 and 12/217,915, use cryogenic brittlizing of rock and dissonant sound vibrations to shred rock formations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method of using a water jet cutter to define and cut the circumference of the vertical shaft once the topsoil and non-rock layer of the ground is drilled with a hand auger and lined with a cylindrical pipe with the interior dimension at or larger than that of the shaft to be bored.

In another aspect of the present invention, that after the maximum depth of the water jet cut circumference is achieved, that the material in the center is cryogenically brittlized with Liquid Nitrogen and shattered with dissonant sound or a pistol shot shattering the rock and other material or the center stone is broken off at the base.

In another aspect of the present invention, the water, grit and powdered stone is collected with a Venturi pump and water and grit recycled and powdered stone sold. The debris of shattered rock is collected and carried to the surface in nets on hoisting lines having a digging loop on the end of the probe to collect the rock fragments in the nets. Solid center stones are raised using a strap below the top and three hoisting lines.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, motion of cutting head(s) is achieved by small angle displacement from perpendicular to the circumference cut desired of one or more of the cutting heads, not necessarily the plurality of all cutting heads, such that a tilt one way enacts slow motion in one direction and a cause of change of the tilt to the other direction enacts slow motion in the other direction. This allows motion of 120 degrees or more back and forth eliminating the twisting of continuing screw motion which would require complicated means to accommodate turning.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the debris, water and grit are separated using a screen sieve to separate the rock from the liquid and grit, the grit separated because it is quick to separate from powdered stone, and the water separates out as the powder slowly settles. The water is then filtered before it is recycled in the water cutter and the grit is washed to be clear of powdered stone.

In yet a final aspect of the present invention, the problem of ground water invasion of the hole is handled by, first, applying Liquid Nitrogen to freeze the invading water and rock; second, apply wet, fresh mixed mortar made with only cement and sand to work its way into the sides of the drilling at the leak point; and, third, as the curing heat melts ice holding back the water, the mortar fills in the crevasses replacing water. Once this is set, but not fully cured, the water cutter can continue cutting through the mortar and lower rock formation continuing the drilling process. It may take several rounds of mortar application to close a deep zone of ground water penetration.

These and other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and accompanying drawings, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 a is a cross-sectional view of the shaft being drilled with the dual head water cutter installed on a center pipe of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1 b is a top view of the shaft being drilled with the dual head water cutter installed illustrated in FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 c is a bottom-up view of the drilling head and evacuator peering through the rock being removed.

FIG. 2 a shows the motion means to make the water jet cutters move to cut a circumference of the outer boring circular wall.

FIG. 3 shows Liquid Nitrogen cooling to produce brittle material in the drill shaft.

FIG. 4 a shows the dissonant sound method of breaking up the drill center rock.

FIG. 4 b shows a pistol method where a bullet enters the brittle rock and shatters it.

FIG. 4 c shows a shaped charge method of cracking off the center rock whole from the rock formation being drilled.

FIG. 5 illustrates one method of removing the rock material at the center of the drilling having the rock segment removed whole.

FIG. 6 shows a gathering means of rock debris from a shattered center of the drilling enabling removal of the fragments from the hole.

FIG. 7 illustrates the invasion of the drilling by tapped ground water.

FIG. 8 a shows the freezing of the invading waters and rock with Liquid Nitrogen.

FIG. 8 b shows the application of mortar which flows into the crevasses where the ground water is sourced.

FIG. 8 c shows the melting ice giving way to the flowing mortar.

FIG. 9 shows the water jet cutter cutting through the inserted mortar and on through the rock below.

FIG. 10 shows the environmental imprint of the use of this method of drilling on the surface of the ground at the site of the hole being drilled.

FIG. 11 shows the grounds prior to drilling.

FIG. 12 shows the initial hole drilled with an augur through the soil layers.

FIG. 13 shows the sleeve insert through the soil layers and the drill insert to cut the rock layers below.

FIG. 14 shows the accommodation of deep drilled holes using this method.

FIG. 15 a defines water well boring to find ground water.

FIG. 15 b defines insitu fuel extraction uses of the boring green process

FIG. 15 c defines assaying minerals and rock types of uses.

FIG. 16 shows security lines to insure every part used can be drawn to the surface insuring that the boring is not cluttered with loose components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning now to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 a-1 c, a method of drilling or boring vertically with water jet cutters with a cutting head at the junction of vertical bore and rock yet to penetrate is shown from the side FIG. 1 a; from the top FIG. 1 b, and from the bottom FIG. 1 c looking through the rock formation. The water jet cutting heads 1 are mounted on radial arms 11 emerging from the center pole 13. The heads are fed with high pressure water 4 via the pressure hoses 10 mounted in the superstructure 12 of the boring head. To increase the cutting capability of the water 4, grit 41 can be added to the pressured driven water. To clear the water 4 and grit 41, evacuation tubes 14 suck up the water 4/grit 41/powdered stone 20 mix. The cut in the rock 20 made by water jet cutters 1 produces powdered stone 21. The cut 19 increases in width as the distance from the water jet cutter 1 increases or the vertical boring deepens. To insure constant diameter of the hole created, the water jet cutter heads 1 are tilted inward to keep the bore constant.

Accumulating water 4 prevents the water jet cutter 1 from functioning in cutting rock. Evacuation of the water/grit/powdered rock mix 42 is achieved with evacuators 14 pulling the mix into the system with vacuum provided by a Venturi pump 15 such that a vessel 16 collects the mix 42. Once the vessel 16 is full, an empty vessel moves into the collecting place 17 and the full vessel 16 is sealed 18 and pulled up the boring 20 to the surface. It is emptied and returned to the drilling site as the next empty 17 unit to be refilled and again pulled to the surface. Once separated, the water and grit are recycled.

As each cutting period is prolonged, the height of the center stone 22 increases. When the cut depth 21 is too deep, the process stops so as to remove the center stone 22 either as a unit broken off at the bottom using a shaped charge or as a pile of rubble exploded by sound dissonance, a pistol bullet applied while the rock is brittle with cold.

FIG. 2 shows the means of motion to make the water jet cutters move to cut a circumference of the outer boring circular wall where shown here two of the water jet cutters 1 swivel holding one of two angles, equal in number of degrees to the left 102 or to the right 103 of perpendicular. The change of tilt is made when the motion upper extension 100 of the water jet cutter head 1 encounters the stable pin 101 affixed to the pole 13 causing the change of tilt direction from left to right. This changes the motion direction of the superstructure 12 allowing the cutters to trace the circumference 20 being cut to be traced in the other direction. This sets the course of the water jet cutters 1 back and forth deepening the boring 23 around the center stone 22. The evacuators (drawn smaller so not to cover other parts) 14 move with the water cutter assembly 12 pulling the water 4, grit 41, and powdered stone 21 from the bottom of the cutting circumference 20.

FIG. 3 shows the second procedure. Once the efficient depth of the cut is reached, water jet cutter tooling is extracted from the boring. A slow flow unit 31 is placed in the top of the hole with a sieve unit 33 above the center stone. A dewar 35 holds four liters of liquid Nitrogen 30 which flows into the slow flow unit cup 34 which empties into the sieve 33 causing the Liquid Nitrogen 30 drops to evaporate into super cold Nitrogen gas 3. Nitrogen evaporates at the bottom of the boring cooling the center stone 22 to brittleness. Several dewars of Liquid Nitrogen may be needed to achieve the degree of cold sufficient to easily break off the center stone at the base of the cut 20.

FIG. 4 a shows the center stone 22 broken by dissonant sound application caused by two sound sources 51, 52 tuned close but yet out of tune to rattle the rock. It shatters the brittle center stone 22.

FIG. 4 b shows fracturing the center stone 22 with a pistol shot where the bullet 53 penetrates the brittle stone shattering it.

FIG. 4 c shows cracking the base of the center stone 22 to remove it as a single entity using a angled spatula 54 to set in place a shaped charge 55 at the stone 22 base.

FIG. 5 shows the hoisting line 56 to remove the whole center stone 22 once cracked off the base by the shaped charge 55. The hoisting line 56 attaches to the harness 57 which fits around the center stone 22 just under the top. Since the stone is a cone shape with the widest part on top, the harness 57 will work since the diameter of the boring 23 is not much larger than the diameter of the top of the center stone. Three hoist lines 56 will keep the center stone vertical to be slipped up the boring to be removed.

FIG. 6 shows means to gather fragments 24 of the center stone 22 when shattered. The net bag 58 with a rigid edge loop 59 is turned and maneuvered to collect fragments 24. With several bags mounted in the rigid edge, the center bag 58 when full is drawn to the surface by a hoisting line 56 attached to the opening. Further maneuvering of the next bag on the rigid edge collects more of the fragments 24 in remaining bags 58.

FIG. 7 illustrates invasion of the boring 23 by ground water 6. This prevents use of the water jet cutter 1 because of the resistance of the water to the fast water jet and grit.

FIG. 8 a shows freezing the water, ice 60, using the slow flow device shown in FIG. 2 which stops the flow of water in the space of the boring 23.

FIG. 8 b shows the heat created by dropping Calcium metal pellets on the wet center stone heating the water in the boring and the center stone to melt the ice in the boring and adjacent wall. The lightness of the released Hydrogen will lift it to the surface. The resulting substrate Ca(OH)2, Calcium hydroxide, adds to the mortar formation.

FIG. 8 c shows application of mortar 61 to the melt and ice 60 formed further outside the boring and center stone 22 area. Mortar flows displacing the water to fill the boring 23 and the boring wall 25. It should penetrate the crevasses in the rock sufficiently to block further water flow. Because cement, the setting component of mortar, will set in water, it will flow into the crevasses 26 in the boring wall 25 blocking the in-flow of water. This mortar plug will form while there is ice deep in the crevasses 26. Curing in a conforming solid at the bottom of the boring, the mortar holds groundwater 6 back during the curing process. Once cured, it can be cut by the water jet cutter leaving the extent of the mortar flow into the rock crevasses in place and holding.

FIG. 8 d shows the resulting mortar 61 seal in the boring wall 25 and the water jet cutter 1 operating cutting through the mortar 61 inside the boring 23. If further cutting again exposes the ground water 4 and the boring 23 floods again, the procedure here illustrated is repeated again, and maybe yet again, until the boring 23 integrity holds and the only water in the boring is that from the water jet cutter.

FIG. 9 shows the mortar seal 61 preventing ground water 6 flooding while the boring 23 continues deeper with the water jet cutters 1 working and the water 4, grit 41 and powdered stone 21 mix 42 being draw out of the cut 20 by evacuation tubes 14.

FIG. 10 illustrates surface clutter 8 at a boring site with the pole segments 13 stacked, the barrels 16 for mix 42 separation, the water compressor 81 with the high pressure water lines 10, a rack for the water cutter heads 1 in the radial arms 11, evacuation tubes 14 and Venturi pump assembly 15, extra collecting jars 17 and seals 18. The water jet cutter water 4 and grit 41 are recycled. Powdered stone 21 is sold. Note there is little cause to destroy trees or major growth. Branches may need trimming to allow the building of the vertical pole 13 and equipment is lowered into the boring. All parts lowered into the boring are secured by hoisting lines making the action a bit of a puppet show, which prevents blocking of the boring hole by stray, untethered equipment.

FIG. 11 shows the drilling location before boring activities start.

FIG. 12 shows the initial boring process as it passes through soil using an auger 7 pulling the top soil and subsoil dirt from a hole an inch or more wider than the intended deep boring 23. The soil 70 removed is collected on plastic sheet, bagged and removed.

FIG. 13 shows the sleeve insert 71 positioned from the surface to the depth of the initial rock formation 2 encountered.

FIG. 14 shows deep boring accommodations using this method. The pole 14 has increased number of segments held together with Swagelok snap fittings for ease of assembly and dissembly as the water jet cutter superstructure 12 is placed in the boring and removed for the center stone 22 removal. A plumb line use can insure the verticalness of the boring 23. The pressure lines 10, hoist lines 56, sieve unit 33 lines, and a shaped charge 54 setting spatula and activation wires all are longer to accommodate the depth of the boring.

FIG. 15 a shows the application of this boring technology to drill a water well, where once groundwater 6 is accessed the task is complete.

FIG. 15 b shows the application of this boring technology to drill the shaft hole and auxiliary holes for insitu fuel extraction where the shaft boring 23 is eighteen inches and the auxiliary borings 23 are six inches diameter.

FIG. 15 c shows the accommodation of this boring technique for assaying the rock and mineral content of the location. Here the center stone 22 is analyzed with each extension of the boring 23. Using the shaped charge to undercut the center stone 22, allows bringing the whole rock sample to the surface. These can be numbered and preserved to demonstrate the defined sequence of materials in the vertical boring.

FIG. 16 shows a method of securing each component of the boring and extracting practices by attaching a line 9 to each separable component allowing recovery of the situation were any unforeseen dissembly to occur in the boring 23. The attachment point 90 to each component is chosen to dangle the loose component vertically so it hangs when free of other components and only attached to the line 9 so they can be lifted one at a time from the uppermost to the lowest hanging item from the boring. This method allows clearing the hole for resumption of the boring process. Pole segments 13 are tied at the upper end. Superstructure, the water cutter assembly, 12 is tied at an end so it hands long vertically. These lines 9 are identified and operate one or more at a time on the reel assembly 91 at the surface. The lines are protected by casements 92, one for the cutting equipment 93, shown in FIGS. 16 a and 16 d, and one for the center stone evacuating equipment 94, shown in FIGS. 16 b and 16 c. When cutting, the evacuating equipment and the security lines 94 for that operation are on the surface. When evacuating, the cutting equipment and their security lines 93 are on the surface.

Many changes and modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. The scope of some of these changes can be appreciated by comparing the various embodiments as described above. The scope of the remaining changes will become apparent from the appended claims. 

1. A method of vertical drilling into the earth using water jet cutting technology comprising the steps of: a. Auger drilling the soil and subsoil granular material with larger diameter than intended boring; b. Inserting a sleeve with inner diameter greater than the intended boring extending from the ground surface to the first encountered rock bed; c. Beginning water jet cutter boring by inserting the superstructure including the water cutter heads mounted on radial arms, high pressure lines, evacuation tubes, Venturi pump and containers and cutting as deeply as possible the circumference of the boring; d. Moving the water cutter head so as to cut the circumference of the boring; e. Removing the cutting apparatus and inserting the Liquid Nitrogen sieve and slow flow applicator dispersing the Liquid Nitrogen in pulses so the Liquid Nitrogen rains down in droplets evaporating as it reaches the bottom of the boring freezing to brittleness the rock material there; f. Either cracking off the center stone at the base or fragmenting it for removal to the surface using a shape charge, a pistol bullet, or vibrations; g. Raising the broken free center stone or rock fragments to the surface clearing the boring for another cycle as here described. h. Repeat this sequence until the desired depth of the boring is reached.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water jet cutter heads are positioned such that the cut runs parallel with the vertical axis of the boring and retains the diameter of the boring by tilting the cutting heads inward so the cone of cutting outer line cuts the boring wall parallel to vertical and at the determined wall diameter in cross section.
 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tilting of one or more of the plurality of water jet cutters from left to right, and upon reaching a stop changes the turning motion from right to left, and encountering another stop reverses the direction of the turning again from left to right enables the water cutting assembly to move cutting the full circumference of the extending wall of the boring being cut.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water from the water jet cutter, grit used to hasten the cutting and resulting powdered stone is vacuumed from the lowest encirclement of the cutting to enable further cutting.
 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of cryogenically freezing until brittle the stone center of the drilling using Liquid Nitrogen which eases the task of breaking off the center stone or fragmenting it for removal from the boring.
 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of capturing and raising the stone broken free or gathering the fragments and transporting them to the surface.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an angled spatula enables the placement of the shaped charge wet with glue on the lower section of the center stone, which, upon detonation, snaps off the stone at the base.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the whole center stone is harnassed and drawn to the surface with three hoisting lines to keep it vertical.
 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of removing the frozen, brittle center stone by fragmenting it by pistol shot or vibrations caused by two dissonant sound sources.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a sequence of nets on a loop gathers the fragments of the center stone, and, having a hoist line on each net, takes the full inner net with rock fragments to the surface while the remaining nets on the loop are filled with rock fragments and, again, removing the filled center net until the fragments are removed or the net loop needs refilling.
 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sequence starts again with the water jet cutter assembly lowered into the boring and cutting another segment.
 12. A method of recycling both the water used in the water jet cutter and the grit, and preserving the powdered rock to sell conserving these materials.
 13. A method of overcoming ground water invasion of the boring using the steps: a. Freeze with Liquid Nitrogen water and rock at the bottom of the boring; b. Applying soft mortar such that the warming as it cures melts the ice in the boring and rock crevasses near the boring wall filling the space well into the rock wall with mortar; c. Allowing the mortar to cure sufficiently; d. Inserting the water jet cutter apparatus and continue boring through the mortar and down through the rock; and e. If groundwater is again flowing in the boring, repeat this process.
 14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the encountering of ground water will not prevent the continuation of drilling since ground water invasion is controlled giving the water jet cutting process the required air, not water, filling the space between the water jet cutter and the material being cut.
 15. A method of insuring equipment can be removed from the boring of having a line secured to each part such that, if dissembled in the boring, the equipment parts, one at a time or together in group assembly, can be pulled from the boring without locking on the walls on the way up and out.
 16. A method of vertical boring or drilling that can be applied in a range of circumstances.
 17. A method of vertical boring or drilling using water jet cutting that gives little disturbance to the surface in the vicinity of the boring during and after the task.
 18. A method of vertical boring or drilling that directs all energy at the point where material in the boring is being cut and removes material once filling the hole.
 19. A method of melting ice in the bottom of the boring using the exothermic heat of Calcium reacting with water to produce Hydrogen and Calcium hydroxide to clear the way for mortar flow into the crevasses in the rock which holds back the ground water invasion of the hole being bored. 